Elsterberg

Elsterberg
Coat of arms
Elsterberg
Location of Elsterberg within Vogtlandkreis district
Coordinates: 50°36′N 12°10′E / 50.600°N 12.167°E / 50.600; 12.167Coordinates: 50°36′N 12°10′E / 50.600°N 12.167°E / 50.600; 12.167
Country	Germany
State	Saxony
District	Vogtlandkreis
Government
• Mayor	Volker Jenennchen
Area
• Total	25.07 km2 (9.68 sq mi)
Elevation	283 m (928 ft)
Population (2015-12-31)
• Total	4,188
• Density	170/km2 (430/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	07985
Dialling codes	036621
Vehicle registration	V
Website	www.elsterberg.dewww.dick-aktuell.de

Elsterberg is a town in the Vogtlandkreis district, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the White Elster river, 6 km southwest of Greiz, and 13 km north of Plauen.

Elsterberg is situated in a deep valley, which begins in the neighbouring town of Greiz, and is surrounded by dense forests. This valley continues till the incorporated village Gippe to the following nature reserve Elstertal. Elsterberg is situated directly at the river Weiße Elster and belongs to the political area of the free state of Saxony. The federal road B92 leads through the town and connects the city Plauen and the towns Elsterberg and Greiz.

Incorporated villages are:

Elsterberg was first mentioned in documents dating from 1198. This mention is based on townspeople information and a document presumably destroyed by a fire in 1840. In this document a small knight seat, there called the old house of Elsterberg, was described. These castle buildings were situated on the rocks of Weßnitz and belonged to the Knight Ritter Rayer von Elsterberg, who called his mansion Elsterburg.

Years later the sirs of the Lobdeburg colonized the area and built up a new castle in 1225, later called Castle Elsterberg. These lords had let establish a huge church beneath their castle and let Frankonians and Saxons take up residence around as their subjects.

Originally there was no thought of founding this city, however, when 36 close villages came to Elsterberg in the purpose of starting their trade there, market rights were needed. The first appearance in documents of the name Elsterberg as a town was in 1354. Till the end of the 17th century Elsterberg was a typical rural town, fulfilling just its own requirements through trade inside its allowed zone of trading.

Three disastrous fires destroyed Elsterberg. In 1492 most parts of the town center went up in flames. In 1702 again the whole city center, except the parish and the manor Frankenhof, fell victim to the flames. After all a third fire destroyed the town, including its town hall and church, in 1840. All documentary files and records got irretrievably lost. Therefore, today's townscape is influenced by the restoration after 1840.

In 1882 the first mechanical weaving opened its doors in Elsterberg, becoming the Spinnfaser-Aktiengesellschaft Elsterberg in 1910, one of the most influential and important company in this field before WW II. The leather industry boomed as well. In the year 1885 Elsterberg was connected to the railway network between Gera and Plauen and that of course helped its industry and the raise of industrialization.